Archive for month: October, 2020
In honor of all things spooky…let’s get ready for our Spooktacular Spirit Week! Join the web of fun and show us some tricks while we treat ourselves to a Spooktacular Week!
Don’t forget that all spirit day attire must still be school appropriate according to our Harmony Free Dress Policy. No face masks or fully painted faces during class…we must be able to recognize you.
Monday – Marvel Monday: Wear your favorite Marvel superhero or villain attire
Tuesday – Troll Tuesday: Dress like a Troll & wear a bright colored shirt or just have a crazy hair day
Wednesday – Disney Wednesday: Wear your favorite Disney character attire
Thursday – Tiger Pride Thursday: Dress as the Tiger you are in your HSS spirit shirt, tiger print or solid orange or black
Friday – Book Character Friday: Dress up like your favorite book character
Don’t forget to post your Spirit Week Photos on our Facebook page to appear in Tiger Talk!
Our Spanish Club under the leadership of Mrs. Cruz, will sponsor our Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Celebration on Friday, October 16th. Our celebration will be presented online in class by Mexic-Arte Museum and will include a virtual museum exhibit. We are so excited to participate in this amazing cultural experience.
Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Celebration Schedule:
PreK-2nd Grade @ 10am
3rd-5th Grade @ 2pm
The 2020-2021 Virtual After School Club Program is in session! Online registration is now available for the virtual club offerings we currently have available. Students may participate in our Virtual Club Program for free this year.
Club availability is limited, once a club is full there will not be any additional spots. Once you sign up, students & parents will receive the Zoom link. Sign up today if you are interested in a Virtual After School Club – click the link below to select a club based on grade level, day & times available: https://forms.gle/CbFhocJHF8gbCpPj7
*Please note, if new clubs become available we will inform parents and students at that time.
* There are NO on campus clubs at this time *
Parents and guardians,
You are cordially invited to attend the Austin District VIRTUAL Title I Parent & Family Engagement Information Meeting held on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, at 3:00pm (Via Zoom).
Please fill out the Google Form below to receive the Zoom link if you plan to attend the virtual meeting.
Google Form: https://forms.gle/wP63P7dTKnLqbaoK8
Agenda Items:
1. Title I Program Presentation
2. Review and evaluate last year’s PFE Policy and District-Parent Compact
3. Jointly develop PFE Policy and Compact for the current year
4. School’s Curriculum, Academic Performance
5. Comments, Q&A
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Padres y tutores,
Está cordialmente invitado a asistir a la reunión informativa sobre la participación de padres y familias del Título I VIRTUAL del Distrito de Austin que se llevará a cabo el martes 13 de octubre de 2020 a las 3:00 pm (Via Zoom).
Complete el formulario de Google a continuación para recibir el enlace de Zoom si planea asistir a la reunión virtual.
Formulario de Google: https://forms.gle/wP63P7dTKnLqbaoK8
Elementos de la agenda:
1. Presentación del programa Título I
2. Revisar y evaluar la Política de PFE del año pasado y el Acuerdo entre Padres y Distrito
3. Desarrollar conjuntamente la Política y el Pacto de PFE para el año en curso.
4. Plan de estudios de la escuela, rendimiento académico
5. Comentarios, preguntas y respuestas
(TEXAS) – On the eve of National Principals Month, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $27.8 million Teacher and School Leader Incentive grant to Harmony Public Schools to train, equip, and retain top-level school leaders at its campuses across the state.
This project will strengthen and evolve Harmony’s existing Human Capital Management System, developed through a previous Department of Education grant project (Teacher Incentive Fund, 2016), to more explicitly focus on strengthening instructional leadership by better positioning and supporting current and rising principals and instructional leadership teams to excel and remain in their roles—especially in high-need schools. Harmony has 50 schools designated as high-needs throughout the state.
The project design draws on proven research showing that strong instructional leadership improves educator effectiveness, which, in turn, accelerates growth in student outcomes.
“Great schools require great leadership,” said Harmony CEO Fatih Ay. “That’s why one of our highest priorities at Harmony Public Schools is to equip our principals and other school leaders with the tools they need to build cultures of achievement, character, and community at their campuses.”
Harmony was one of only 13 school systems in the country to receive the DOE grant and the largest of three Texas recipients.
“Great teachers deserve to be treated as the professionals they are and to be compensated accordingly,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement Wednesday, September 1. “All too often, though, they lack access to relevant professional development courses and are compensated on a step-scale ladder that treats them like cogs in a machine instead of as individuals with unique talents and interests. We’ve challenged today’s awardees to rethink all of that, and they have risen to the challenge.”
The new funding brings the total amount awarded to Harmony by the Department of Education within the past few years to $92.5 million.
- In 2012, the DOE awarded Harmony a $30 million Race to the Top grant to support locally developed plans to personalize and deepen student learning, directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student to succeed in college and their careers.
- In 2016, the DOE awarded Harmony a $26.7 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant to develop a merit-based system for rewarding its highest-performing teachers. (The system, known as H-STEP, was foundational in Harmony being named to the Texas Education Agency’s inaugural class of Teacher Incentive Allotment districts in Fall 2020.)
- In 2018, the DOE awarded Harmony an $8 million Education Innovation Research grant to build upon Harmony’s project-based learning STEM model for Grade 6-12 students by introducing similar curricula to students in Grade K-5, and by creating a system of support and professional development for elementary school teachers.
“Great principals and school leaders, given their unique talents and devotion to their teachers and students, should receive the support they need to continue to be successful,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education Frank Brogan. “Under the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program, the U.S. Department of Education provides assistance to school districts that are rethinking how to strengthen instructional leadership to make sure principals and leadership teams are well equipped to support their teachers and students. I look forward to seeing how the grant funds are utilized by Harmony Public Schools.”
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. In 2020, Harmony hadall 23 high school campuses named among the Best High Schools in America by U.S. News and World Report, 13 named to the Best STEM High Schools in America by Newsweek, and earned two National School of Character recognitions from Character.org.
Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year for both students and team members.
About Harmony Public Schools
Harmony Public Schools are 58 high performing PreK-12 college preparatory charter schools throughout Texas. Harmony blends the highest standards and expectations, with a rigorous math- and science-centered curriculum and dedicated and engaged teachers and families to cultivate excellence and prepare students to succeed in college, careers and life. At Harmony Public Schools, we believe every child can succeed, and we are committed to helping them realize their full potential. To learn more about Harmony Public Schools and our 58 campuses across Texas, please visit: www.harmonytx.org, and follow us on Twitter at @HarmonyEdu and ‘Like’ us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyTexas.